Despite scares, coronavirus still not confirmed in Czech Republic

Ostrava, North Moravia, Jan 28 (CTK) – Tests have not confirmed coronavirus in a Chinese girl who is spending holidays in north Moravia’s Opava district, Opava hospital spokesman Jiri Krusina told CTK today, with other facilities around the country sharing the same results so far.

The girl arrived in Czechia almost two weeks ago and fell ill while staying with her relatives. She had a cough and fever, which is why the family called the hospital’s infection ward on Monday.

Krusina said the family acted correctly when deciding not to take the girl to an out-patient facility.

Alerted by the family, the hospital sent a medical team in special suits to take samples from the girl, who was left isolated at home. The family was told to administer antipyretics to the patient, if needed, and to contact the hospital if her condition worsened, Krusina said.

The hospital started preparing for a possible admission of the patient by reviewing the steps to be taken in such a case. The hospital is well prepared for tackling such situations as its staff previously underwent special training in this respect, Krusina said.

Doctors in Czechia are currently checking several cases of patients with suspected coronavirus.

This afternoon, the Na Bulovce hospital in Prague is expected to publish the results of tests performed on a Chinese tourist, one of six who were brought to the hospital after one of them started showing relevant symptoms. The other five tourists were already released, the hospital’s spokeswoman Simona Krautova told CTK.

The Health Ministry announced today that a Czech citizen who visited China in early January tested negative for novel coronavirus infection today after being hospitalised on Monday.

One Czech citizen also tested negative for novel coronavirus infection in Vietnam and was released from hospital, Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek (Social Democrats, CSSD) told journalists today.

The city of Yichang, in the Chinese province of Hubei, asked its Czech partner city Trebic, south Moravia, to provide medical materials for the fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus. Trebic Mayor Pavel Pacal told CTK his city will debate possible aid on Wednesday.

Over 100 people have died of the new coronavirus and some 4,500 got infected in China, where the infection appeared first in December.